The Chicago Bears enter 2026 with bigger expectations and a tougher standard. It’s no longer enough for the roster to simply hold up - the team needs its starters and depth pieces to play at a high level if it wants a real postseason push and a shot at a Super Bowl run.
That makes this a big year for a handful of players who have been productive without quite breaking through the way many fans expected. Five Bears, in particular, are set up for a season that could change how they’re viewed in Chicago.
Tyrique Stevenson is first on that list. The cornerback has been through plenty over the last two seasons, from the Hail Mary against the Washington Commanders in 2024 to getting benched last year.
Even so, 2026 gives him a clean chance to turn things around. If he finally puts everything together, a contract extension with the Bears next offseason could be in play.
Jonah Jackson is another player who could be ready to take a noticeable step. He tends to get overlooked on an offensive line that includes Joe Thuney and Darnell Wright, but last season he posted a 71.4 overall Pro Football Focus grade, which ranked 19th among offensive guards. That kind of production leaves room for even more, and Jackson has a real path to becoming a major factor and even making a push for a Pro Bowl selection.
At linebacker, D'Marco Jackson flashed enough last season to make people pay attention. He earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week for one game and then re-signed with Chicago, where he now has a chance to work into the rotation alongside T.J.
Edwards and new addition Devin Bush. His coverage needs to improve, but the tools are there for him to become a valuable piece in this defense.
Defensive tackle Zah Frazier? No-Ameer Speed?
No-Street is the name drawing buzz after a strong training camp. He’s now in the starting lineup, stepping in for Gervon Dexter Sr. after Dexter was traded to the Atlanta Falcons.
Street has spent most of his NFL career as a reserve and backup defensive tackle, but this year gives him a chance to start and deliver the kind of breakout the Bears need.
Then there’s Rome Odunze, who has already spent two years hovering right on the edge of stardom. A foot injury last season interrupted what looked like it could have been a 1,000-yard 2025 campaign, and he’ll open 2026 not fully healthy because of a new calf injury.
Even with that, the wide receiver still has a chance to be special. He has the full package, and this season is set up to be the one where it all comes together.
In Other News...
Caleb Williams Fans Just Got New Fuel In The QB Debate
Drake Mayes Week 1 debut did not give the New England rookie much room for optimism. He threw three interceptions in a loss to the Seattle Seahawks, including a game-losing pick, and was outplayed by backup Drew Lock after Sam Darnold left early with an injury. For Bears fans keeping one eye on the quarterback class from 2024, it was the kind of opening-week comparison that naturally invites a fresh round of Caleb Williams talk.
Williams, meanwhile, enters his season with a less demanding launch point, which only sharpens the discussion for those already inclined to side with him in the class debate. Mayes rough start does not settle anything this early, but it does give Chicago supporters another reason to believe the Bears may have landed the better quarterback, at least in the eyes of some fans watching both debuts unfold. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Open With A Caleb Williams Question Fans Were Hoping To Avoid
Braxton Jones will open the season as the Bears starting left tackle against the Panthers in Week 1, giving Chicago an early answer on one of the more closely watched spots in front of Caleb Williams. Ben Johnson said injured tackle Ozzy Trapilo is making positive progress, but his return does not appear to be right around the corner, which leaves Jones in position to handle the job as the opener arrives.
For the Bears, it is a familiar reminder that the offensive line remains one of the most important variables around Williams as the regular season begins. Jones has the first chance to settle the left side, while the team waits to see how Trapilos recovery continues and whether the depth chart there changes soon after kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Defensive Depth Chart Is Getting Mocked For One Big Reason
The Bears are heading into Week 1 with a defensive depth chart that has already sparked some outside ridicule, mostly because the names in the right places do not always line up with the players expected to matter most. Montez Sweat and Grady Jarrett give the front a veteran backbone, Devin Bush is viewed as an upgrade over Tremaine Edmunds, and the secondary still has real juice with Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson.
But the part getting the most attention is how little room the chart seems to give Jordan van den Berg, even though the Bears are expected to lean on him in a meaningful way. It is the kind of early-season wrinkle that can make a depth chart look more like a formality than a true roadmap, and it leaves plenty of curiosity about how Chicago actually plans to deploy its defense once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]